In advance of Thursday’s floor session, Virginia Senate Democrats urged Republicans to close the health insurance coverage gap — they have promised a plan to do so — and expressed disappointment at the prospect of continued Republican intransigence.

While welcoming Gov. McAuliffe’s announcement of a ten-point plan to expand coverage and improve healthcare for more than 200,000 Virginians, Senate Democrats today urged Republicans to build on that progress by closing the coverage gap.

Terry McAuliffe and Senate Democrats have now held the budget hostage for some 90 days. Even after Secretary of Finance Ric Brown recently briefed the General Assembly Money Committees that state revenue shortfall could possibly exceed $1 billion over the next two years, there has been no urgency in the Senate to work towards a budget negotiation.

Perhaps I am overly sensitive but it seems that if you say in your question pointedly that the Democrats want to expand Medicaid and the Republicans don’t want to, that you are prejudicing the outcome.

With special session approaching, Senate Democrats drew attention to the outpouring of public support over the last two weeks for efforts to close the health care coverage gap, renewing their calls for House Republicans to negotiate on, or offer an alternative to, Marketplace Virginia.

After 60 days, the Virginia Senate adjourned sine die. While the General Assembly considered and passed many laws this session, Senate Democrats remain disappointed that Republican delegates refuse to consider or negotiate on Marketplace Virginia.

The 2014 session of the Virginia General Assembly entered the home stretch this week, as negotiations to iron-out differences between the House and Senate versions of the state’s biennial budget began.

The Senate Rules Committee voted Friday along party lines to defeat a bill that would have allowed members of the General Assembly to take the place of the attorney general in court. The bill was passed by indefinitely.

Senate Democrats are crowing about how they killed the so-called Tebow Bill, which would allow home-schooled students to participate in athletics on public-sports teams. Congratulations for your hard work to deny opportunities to innocent teenagers.

The Senate Committee on Education & Health voted 9-6 on Thursday to defeat a so-called “Tebow bill” that would have effectively forced public school districts to allow home school students to participate in their athletics programs. The vote took place along party lines, with all Democrats opposing the bill.

The Virginia Senate voted Tuesday to pass a bill to repeal the mandatory ultrasound requirement that Republicans passed in 2012. Senate Democrats provided 19 of the 20 votes which produced a tie, broken by Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam.

The Virginia Senate on Friday passed two Democratic bills that would curb gun violence. Both measures passed on a bipartisan vote, with strong Democratic support and several Republicans voting in favor.

Senate Democrats reorganized the Virginia Senate on Tuesday, assuming the same majority status Republicans claimed in 2012. Following the elections of Senator Lynwood Lewis (D–Accomack) and Senator Jennifer Wexton (D–Loudoun), 20 of the 40 senators are Democrats.